Manhattan

Manhattan glitterati with a desire to find the perfect mate have a new champion in matchmaker Vanessa Carlson. With her fledgling business giving her biggest rival – friend and mentor Althea Sevalas – a run for the money, Vanessa’s services are definitely a hot commodity.

To prove once and for all who’s the best matchmaker in town, Vanessa and Althea enter into a competition to see who can score downtown playboy Mark Grayson as their client and send him walking down the aisle. Once a winner is crowned in this very public endeavor, there will be no question as to who rules Manhattan’s matrimonial mergers. But emotions often have a will of their own, and Vanessa learns that rules don’t always apply.

When Andrea Sevalas’ long time boyfriend announces he’s seeing someone else, Andi’s thrown for a loop—well, actually, down a cellar. Head throbbing and nose out of joint, she’s rescued by one of New York’s finest – attorney’s that is. Ethan McCay — the upper east side heir to the kingdom of Manhattan. But Andi isn’t interested in princes. At least not the uptown variety. She’s a downtown girl with no time for Park Avenue royalty.

So what’s a fairy godmother supposed to do? Well, if she’s Andi’s Aunt Althea (the infamous Manhattan matchmaker) a little manipulation is in order. After all, even Cinderella needed a little prodding to go to the ball. And with a little help from her friends, Althea’s plan goes charmingly – until the clock strikes midnight and the truth is revealed.

One of the things I like best about New York City is the wealth of different cultures. And nowhere is that more evident than in the food offered by the myriad of restaurants throughout the city. Saturday night we decided to try a neighborhood restaurant specializing in Spanish food. And we were not disappointed.

Alcala is a small intimate place located near the United Nations serving food from the Basque region of Spain. With warm paintings and plates on brick and plaster walls you immediately feel the Mediterranean influence. Seated at a table for two in the front room, I had a view of passersby as well as the comfortable setting of the restaurant itself. There is also a garden in the back. The two spaces separated by a lovely old wood bar.

But of course the star of any restaurant is the food. And our meal was absolutely perfect. To start we ordered pork tenderloin from the tapas menu. Two portions of perfectly marinated meat topped with peppers on a rustic toasted bread. The meat was fork tender and the flavors melded together for a perfect bite. A great starter, and just the right size.

Next up, we split a salad with white asparagus on piquillo peppers with a scallion and olive vinaigrette. The dressing was light and refreshing and the white asparagus melt in your mouth good. And again the portion was perfect for splitting. And a lovely follow-up to the pork.

Along with both our starter and our salad we had an excellent wine. A tempranillo/merlot blend from 2003. Montevannos. I most definitely would order it again.

For the main course, I chose sautéed monkfish in a parsley and garlic sauce with clams and shrimp. The fish was perfectly cooked, and the shrimp were mouthwateringly sweet. The sauce was good enough that I wished for a bit of bread to sop it up, though thankfully, for my waistline, I didn’t. The presentation was also delightful. And the portion size was generous but not overwhelming.

My husband had a paella with chunks of chicken ,beef and chorizo sauce. It too was delicious, the smoky flavor of the chorizo making the dish. Besides meat and rice, the casserole was full of zucchini, peas, string beans and other vegetables. Every bite delicious.

And because I am a complete and total fan of anything resembling egg custard, we ordered the flan for dessert. And I have to say that it was fabulous. With a hint of cinnamon in the caramelized sugar it had an almost exotic flavor. Definitely a nice touch and the perfect ending for a delightful meal.